Father Unlike Son
by Pterakyn
Summary: The Mercer men have always been different, but Maxwell fears his son is far gone...


Mr. Landsdowne had an appointment to keep. He was feeling confidant as he pushed the office door open.

"Alright, Mr. Mercer, I have the paperwork here, you just need to sign and this is complete. You know as well as I this is the only way your company will survive and its good you finally saw…" He began. The chair behind the desk turned around, revealing not the form of old Maxwell Mercer but Anton. The young man allowed himself a lopsided grin at the confused Mr. Landsdowne.

"Henry, it is good to see you, I can give you the news. Mercer industries has already been sold, and my father has gone to his early, well-earned retirement," Anton said, leaning forward clasping his hands.

"Sold to who? I am the only one willing to take this failing heap, your father has made a considerable mistake. I want to talk to the new owner then," Henry snarled. Anton smiled his crooked smile again.

"You already are, we made the decision to keep it in the family."

Henry Landsdowne slammed his hand on the wooden desk top angrily, the papers beneath them. Anton raised an eyebrow and picked them up, slowly tearing them while looking him dead in the eyes. He did not blink once. Henry did not like Maxwell's son. No one did. His eyes were too yellow and calculating. His father was a man of industry and building, the son was a scientist playing a business man. Henry was not going to be cowed.

"Well Anton, when this blows up in your face, your family will be begging me to take this pile from you and my offer will not even be HALF of what I offered."

"Well Henry, let's give it time then. I think you'll find however, there is life in this business yet."

As Henry left he was able to pinpoint what bothered him, Anton Mercer reminded him of a snake.

Anton continued smirking to himself, long after Henry left. He grew slowly more serious. Mr. Landsdowne was right, the company was failing, but Anton felt it was no fault of his father. The shareholders however, perhaps there was a rat or two hidden there.

Predatory was probably too weak a word as Anton swept through. He rooted out and hunted any evidence in the files for anything suspicious. He had found his father too trusting, as these men had stripped life from his company. Five men once thought loyal were removed…then another three…Anton stripped the membership down to four other men, him holding most of the reins.

"Welcome to a new age," he had said to them, the four remaining men seeming uncertain and nervous.

Swiftly, what was once a minor shipping and logistics company spread, under Anton's hand.

And if anything, Maxwell had become afraid of his own son. There had always been a strange distance to the boy that had now become more extreme. Anton walked among his fellows, in new labs he built and staffed, his face a strange mask of joviality.

Maxwell was concerned as Anton drifted. The company was thriving, expanding by leaps and bounds. He should have been happy, thrilled even. Anything to one up Landsdowne. He tried to catch Anton at home when he could but it seemed a difficult task.

The elder Mercer had let himself into Anton's house one day, waiting for his son. He wanted to speak with him about his distance, about his lack of communication. The old man found it odd, seeing one of the guest rooms converted to…a child's room? Maxwell returned to the main hall as Anton opened the front door, a small black haired boy hiding his face. The little boy's arms were wrapped tightly around Anton's neck.

"Dad…" Anton began, showing a half smile. Maxwell looked exceptionally confused.

"Anton…"

"This is Trent…his parents…an accident…please let me get him settled, he's had to travel a long way," Anton's voice was soft in its concern. He was galvanized into action. The young boy burrowed himself under the new blankets, dragging his old ones beneath with him. Anton sat beside the bed talking to him, Trent's soft voice occasionally could be heard responding.

"You'll be safe here," Anton whispered, "Anything you need, it will be yours."

There had been some closeness when Trent arrived. Maxwell loved his adopted grandson, the boy was a bright one. He admitted to himself he was probably more indulgent than necessary towards him, but Anton did not seem to mind. Trent had been through enough.

Maxwell spent more and more time with the young boy…and saw Anton less and less. He barely heard from him now…and at one point it had been a month.

And when he got news…the source was unexpected.

Maxwell opened his eyes and looked around. He was not alone. The elder Mercer slowly sat up. He could not see who was there he just knew. They were close whoever they were. He reached over to the bedside for his lamp.

"Don't," came the command from the shadows.

Maxwell slowly looked up his eyes made out a shape, standing close to the curtains. It moved into the moonlight that was streaming through the windows. The man gasped and sat up, pushing himself as far back from the abomination as he could.

The monster clicked his teeth together.

"Do not scream, Mercer. I am not here to harm you. I am here…to see you. Anton speaks well of you, it is good to put a face to the name," the creature said, standing at the edge of the bed.

"Who…who…who are you?" Maxwell stammered out, his hand slowly reaching again for the light.

"An associate of Anton's. He is…very busy as of late but he lives," the monster continued.

"Why...are…you…here?" Maxwell's voice grew in confidence.

"Curiosity, but you woke up. You would have never known. Now I am going to ask you forget what you have witnessed," the being demanded. Maxwell's hand grabbed the chain and tugged the light on. He almost wished he had not.

"I did ask you not to," the monster sighed. The reptile sat on the edge of Maxwell's bed he looked at the old man once more. His eyes flicked gold to blue in a brief moment.

"Forget this happened," he growled. As suddenly as he appeared, the monster had vanished. Maxwell's eyes flicked around the room, looking for the figure. He began to settled back down for the night believing it all to be a nightmare.

It was a month later when he heard something downstairs. It was like a gust of wind, possibly from the storm outside. He knew he should call his security but Maxwell above all was a curious man. He knew his son would chastise him for this but Anton had not been seen for six months now. Not a word from his only child.

He walked into the office. The figure was standing there now, lightning from the storm outside throwing his sharp form into high relief. The yellow hide, the great fangs, and scales glowed in the bluish light.

"Ah, should you not be in bed, Maxwell?" the creature spoke, not turning.

Maxwell stood beside the creature.

"I should call security…"

"Yet you did not, besides they would not stand a chance. I am only here for a respite…"

"Can you give me word of my son? You show up, in my room, in the middle of the night claiming to know him. Anton keeps secrets from me…can you tell me where he is?" Maxwell demanded.

The creature swiveled his head to look at the man. He appraised the elder Mercer before looking back to the rain.

"Anton is alive. He is well. He speaks of you often. Like I said, I am here just passing through…" The monster moved away from the windows. Maxwell looked at him, followed his movements. The way the creature stepped…how he moved…

"Anton…"

"I am not Anton…" the creature growled, a flash of lightning illuminating the creature his jaws open and snarling.

"A father knows his son…"

"Again I am not HIM!" the creature clacked his jaws together sharply.

There was a flash of green light and the monster disappeared.

"Granddad?" a voice said softly. Maxwell turned around to see Trent rubbing his eyes and walking in.

"Can't sleep?" Maxwell asked. Trent nodded.

"I had nightmares. The storm is a little scary…"

"WELL Trent, let me you…when Anton was little he was scared as well…"

Maxwell stood in the room the next day, looking for any sign of the monster he saw last night. He heard loud happy shouting in the hall.

Trent was sprinting to the front door. He flung it open before Maxwell could ask who it was. Anton stood in the doorway, kneeling swiftly to hug Trent.

Maxwell looked at him, a bit slack jawed. Anton stood again, smiling. Maxwell knew his son was not well.

Anton looked at him with hollow eyes and his jaw sunken.

"Dad, you look like you've seen a ghost," Anton said, his voice jovial. Anton ushered Trent back inside and began speaking with him, ignoring his own father.

Maxwell scowled.

"My associate said I was fine. Why didn't you believe him?" Anton growled.

"Well I don't know maybe because he sort of broke in and I felt very intimidated? He didn't even give me a NAME." Maxwell snapped.

"Why should it matter where I go?" Anton hissed, "Is the company not fine? Did you not sell it to me to run?"

"Did I mention the company? Am I mad at you for not being hands on?! NO, I am worried as your father and as the grandfather of the boy you adopted! He wonders and worries where YOU go…he lost both his parents and now his new one is leaving him for long stretches of time. Do you think how it affects him?"

Anton clenched his jaw. He lifted his lips almost in a snarl, his canines sharp.

"No one else would take him, Trent is my son and I love him, I wasn't about to leave him alone. I love him, Dad…"

"Love is not in question! Where did I go wrong with you? When did I teach you to abandon family?"

Anton growled and slammed his fist down on the table in front of him.

"YOU WOULD NOT UNDERSTAND! YOU ARE A BUSINESS MAN NOT A SCIENTIST! YOU WILL NEVER SEE AS I SEE!" Anton roared. Maxwell stepped back.

"I have done nothing but support your choices, Anton. I sent you away where you wanted to go. I helped fund your degrees…and I gave you the company when you asked…"

"But you never understood my work! I would talk and it was too above you! Your mind was closed."

Maxwell sighed as he stepped back further.

"I ask then…even if you cast me aside, don't keep Trent in the dark anymore. Forget me if you have to, but don't forget your own son!" The old man exclaimed before marching out.

Anton growled again, his arm flashed red and yellow. He glared at his arm.

"Not here, not now…"

Maxwell walked by Trent's room and peered in, the boy was asleep, markers clutched in his hands. Just about everyone would say this boy feel into a lucky situation. Maxwell would agree but Anton seemed to be ignoring the boy…or at least ignoring what made the boy tick.

The boy was a Mercer, in name only, Anton seemed to believe that was enough and Trent would be like them. Maxwell shut the door carefully and looked back towards the office. Where had he gone wrong with Anton? The young man stepped out of the office his jaw clenched. They stared at each other for a moment before Anton brushed past him and into another room.

For a moment he saw what other men feared.

His son was no snake however, no, he reminded Maxwell of a dragon.


End file.
